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Damien Karras
Father Damien Karras is a fictional character from the novel The Exorcist , its sequel Legion, and their film adaptations. Portrayed by Jason Miller, Karras is a troubled priest, vocational counselor, and psychiatrist suffering a crisis of faith, who confronts Pazuzu and is joined by Father Merrin in his attempt to exorcise Regan MacNeil, a young girl the demon possesses. History Damien Karras was born on April 12, 1935 to a Greek family. In his earlier years, he had been an amateur boxer. He became a Jesuit priest on July 30, 1957. Over the years, the priest began to doubt the existence of God, the Devil, and many Biblical and supernatural beings. Still a Jesuit, he decided to become a psychiatrist. He took a job at a chaplain in a university in Washington DC which happened to be chosen for a film of Burke Dennings and starring Chris MacNeil. He still lived with his mother, albeit that she was terminally ill and he wished to be on hand for her. Although he was devoted to his family, his relationship with his mother was somewhat strained. She was pleased that he was there for her in the final years of her life, but not happy with his squalor, feeling he could earn much more given his background. She is also annoyed that he has never given her grandchildren as he has never married (due to his job). When his mother passes away, Karras has yet another crisis of faith and resorts to sin, stealing a bottle of scotch from the university president's office and getting buzzed from it. On October 9, 1975, along with fellow-Jesuit Father Lankester Merrin, Karras attempts to exorcise 12-year-old Regan MacNeil (who was possessed by a demon). In the process, Merrin dies from exhaustion (probably a heart attack) and an embittered Karras attacks the possessed child, forcing the demon to channel itself into him instead. Karras, briefly dominated by the demon, throws himself out the window of the MacNeils' residence, seeing it as his chance to purge the world of the evil being; tumbling down the stairs of M Street to his death. At the same time that Karras died, a criminal by the name of James Venamun (the infamous "Gemini Killer") was executed. The demon left the body of the dead Karras and placed Venamun's soul into Karras's body as a means of revenge for having been thrown out of Regan MacNeil's. The body was switched prior to interment and an amnesiac Karras was found roaming the streets of Washington DC. Soon, he was placed under the care of a mental hospital. He remained in cell #11 for 15 years. His brain and bone tissues mended over time, but he alternated between his own personality and that of Venamun. Also, the spirit of Venamun left Karras's body by night to invade the other patients in the ward, making them commit murders for him without Venamun taking the blame. The Gemini Killer had come back to wreak havoc. In the film, during the course of an exorcism, Venamun is forced to abandon Karras's body, and Lt. William Kinderman shoots Karras several times, ending Karras's life for the final time. In the book, Venamun's father passes away from natural causes, and Venamun wills Karras' body to die, as he sees no more reason to remain in the world if he cannot continue to shame his father. Notes and trivia *Before confronting the demon inside Regan, Father Karras had a brief glimpse of Pazuzu while dreaming with his mother. *The name "Damien" sounds vaguely like the English "demon", but is not at all etymologically related (meaning "he subdues"). Damien is the French form of the English name Damian (Greek Damao, meaning "to tame"), popular as the name of the martyred Christian saint of the third century (Saints Cosmas and Damian). Another prominent Damien was Father Damien of Hawaii, who died while establishing leper colonies there. Karras shares his name with Damien Thorn, the Antichrist (son of the Devil) and the primany antagonist of the similarly themed film series The Omen. *Jason Miller was in fact educated at the Jesuit-run University of Scranton. *Stacy Keach and Jack Nicholson was William Friedkin's first choice for Father Karras, until Friedkin saw his play, That Championship Season, and met the playwright/actor after the performance. Miller had never acted in a movie before. *Miller's look of shock and disgust while wiping away possessed Regan's vomit from his face is genuine. It was supposed to splatter on his chest, but the plastic tubing that sprayed the vomit accidentally misfired. He admitted in an interview that he was very angered by this mistake. *In an interview, Jason Miller stated that he had a major verbal confrontation with William Friedkin after the director fired a gun near his ear to get an authentic reaction from him. He told Freidkin that he is an actor, and that he didn't need a gun to act surprised or startled. Gallery exorcist-jason-miller.jpg|Karras with his mother. tumblr_llhb53H5Pz1qb9nsso1_500.jpg 3357_2.jpg|A desperate Chris seeks help in Karras. the-exorcist-linda-blair-sharon-spencer-jason-mill.jpg|Sharon shows Regan's condition to Karras. tumblr_muc4h9XysZ1qb9nsso1_500.jpg capture_009_12102013_222943.jpg|Karras as a vision of his mother. Damien-karras 95110.jpg|Karras saves Regan by letting the demon get inside him. Exorcist III Front - Cópia.jpg|Karras as the Patient X. Legion (15).jpg legion.jpg References Category:Individuals Category:Priests